Looking back on my life to determine what the first album I ever purchased was became like a quest to rediscover myself. I love music, and always have, so there are many songs and artists which are influential in making me who I am today.

In the end I had to admit to myself and all of you that my first actual album purchase was nothing grand or prosaic, but the pop blockbuster Heart In Motion.

This album was released when I was 11 and I recall long church missions trip van rides listening to my Walkman and falling asleep to Amy Grant singing "How Can We See That Far," as well as bopping (since as a Baptist pastor’s daughter I was not allowed to dance) to "Baby, Baby." While this is not by any means an embarrassing first CD (er... cassette tape) on my musical resume, I still love the music Amy Grant produced back in the day. She had the ability to bring controversial issues about life and love to light without being preachy.

If you were listening to any kind of normal radio in the early 90's, you remember "Baby, Baby," which hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, as well as "Every Heartbeat," which hit No. 2. "That's What Love Is For," "Good For Me" and "I Will Remember You" all were Top 20 hits as well.

The best part about this album in my mind is not the success it brought Grant as much as the way it openly addressed important issues in life. "Ask Me" talks about how faith can help heal a person's past, specifically with child abuse, and "That's What Love Is For" addresses that relationships are tough and take work. Strength and hope are the themes of Heart In Motion.

My personal favorite song is "Good For Me," which has that optimistic, peppy sound so prevalent in the 80s and 90s. This is catchy music that helps the positive messages Grant sings sound even more effective. I have also always loved "How Can We See That Far," which like other songs on this album shows reality without losing hope, especially in the line "The same sun that melts the wax can harden clay / And the same rain that drowns the rat can grow the hay."

Looking back is the best way to move forward sometimes, so it was refreshing to listen to "Heart In Motion" and recall why I liked this album so much. The simplicity of Grant's voice with her honest lyrics contrast what so many other big names (Mariah Carey, Whitney Houston, Christina Aguilera) attempt to achieve. Maybe that's why my first album purchased is such a joy to me now -- it reminds me of when life was less complicated and proves that sometimes simplicity can compete with the complex.